Loading buoy having loading arms



Nov. 28, 1967 P. KOPPENOL ETAL 3,354,479

LOADING BUOY HAVING LOADING ARMS Filed Dec. 15, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

INVENTORS:

PIETER KOPPENOL ALEXANDER F. DICKSON HENDRIKUS S. RUTTEN GERARD KRUISMAN THEIR ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1967- P. KOPPENQL ETAL 3,354,479

LOADING BUOY HAVING LOADING ARMS Filed Dec. 15 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS:

PIETER KOPPENOL ALEXANDER E' DICKSON HENDRIKUS S- RUTTEN GERARD KRUISMAN THEIR ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1967 P. KOPPENOL ETAL 3,354,479

LOADING BUOY HAVING LOADING ARMS Filed Dec. 15, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS:

PIETER KOPPENOL ALEXANDER F. D|CKSON HENDRIKUS s. RUTTEN GERARD KRUISMAN a n/77M THEIR ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1967 P. KOPPENOL ETAL 3,354,479

LOADING BUOY HAVING LOADING ARMS Filed Dec. 15, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORSI FIG. 9 PIETER KOPPENOL ALEXANDER F. DICKSON HENDRIKUS S. RUTTEN GERARD KKUISMAN M/m/W THEIR ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1967 P. KOPPENOL ETAL 3,354,479

LOADING BUOY HAVING LOADING ARMS Filed Dec. 15, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS:

HG, PIETER KOPPENOL ALEXANDER F. DICKSON HENDRIKUS s. RUTTEN GERARD KRUISMAN THEIR ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1967 P. KOPPENOL ETAL 3,354,479

LOADING BUOY HAVING LOADING ARMS Filed Dec. 15, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS PlETER KOPPENOL ALEXANDER F. DICKSON HENDRIKUS S. RUTTEN GERARD KRUISMAN THEIR ATTORNEY United States Patent f 3,354,479 LOADING BUOY HAVING LOADING ARMS Pieter Koppenol, The Hague, Netherlands, Alexander F.

Dickson, Wallington, Surrey, England, and Hendrikus S.

Rutten, Zoetermeer, and Gerard Kruisman, Reeuwiik,

Netherlands, assignors to Shell Oil Company, New

York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 15', 1965, Ser. No. 513,986 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Dec. 18, 1964, 6414,787 Claims. (Cl. 9-8) The invention relates to a buoy or similar device for loading and/or unloading vessels, which buoy is provided with an upper part rotatable around a vertical shaft and provided with means for securing the mooring cables of a vessel thereto.

Buoys of the above type are known, for example, from the Belgian Patent 635,309 (corresponding to the British Patent 977,451).

It is noted that the invention may be employed not only with buoys, but also with mooring towers, as known, for example, from The Oil and Gas Journal of Mar. 18, 1963, pp. 94 and 95. For the sake of simplicity only a buoy will be mentioned in the following. It is intended, however, that the term buoy should include mooring towers and the like also.

When using buoys as described in the foregoing the problem arises that the vessel has a tendency, even after being moored to the buoy, to bump against the buoy or the device which can cause damage 'to the vessel and buoy. Another drawback is that great forces can occur between vessel and buoy as' a consequence of the movement of the vessel with respect to the buoy, in particular during stormy weather.

Another difficulty which occurs is that the mooring cables, and possibly the loading and unloading hoses, have to be picked up and handed over to the vessel by means of a small boat. This has the drawback that a small boat with crew must form part of the normal equipment of the buoy or device, thus entailing extra costs.

The object of the invention is to remove some or all of the above-mentioned drawbacks.

To this end the buoy according to the invention is characterized in that it is also provided with at least one mooring arm which is secured by one end to the buoy in such a way that it is free to rotate around a vertical shaft on the buoy. The arm is provided with floats and with means for securing mooring cables from the vessel to the arm in such a way that at least a part of a side of the vessel is pressed against or substantially against the arm.

In a preferred embodiment a second mooring arm is provided according to the invention, secured in such a way that this second mooring arm is rotatable around the vertical shaft and the two arms can swivel relative to each other around the vertical shaft. This latter embodiment has the advantage that it makes it possible to moor the vessel in such a way that the central longitudinal axis of the vessel intersects or substantially intersects the central vertical axis of the buoy or device.

In order to enable the mooring cables to be picked up in a simple manner the mooring cables are secured according to the invention to the buoy and/ or to the mooring arm or arms in such a way that they can easily be picked up from the vessel and each secured by one end to the vessel.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the figures. FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 4 are illustrations of a first embodiment of a buoy according to the invention.

FIGURES 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are illustrations of a second embodiment of a buoy according to the invention.

cFIGURES 10, 11, Hand 13 are illustrations of a spe- 3,354,479 Patented Nov. 28, 1967 cial embodiment of the means used for easy picking up of the mooring cables and if required of the loading and unloading hoses.

In FIGURES 1 to 4 the buoy is designated by the numeral 1. The buoy 1 is anchored to the bed of the waterway in a known manner, for example, by means of cables 2 and anchors 3. The buoy 1 includes a base structure having an upper part 4 rotatable around a vertical shaft 5. The part 4 is provided with means 6 for securing mooring cables from the vessel 7. The buoy 1 is provided with a mooring arm, indicated generally at 8, which is designed, for example, as a steel frame structure. The mooring arm 8 is fastened at one end to the buoy 1, for example, by means of bearings 9 and 10.

The mooring arm 8 is provided with floats 11 which ensure that the mooring arm 8 remains floating in the waterway. The mooring arm 8 comprises two parts 13 and 14 interconnected by means of a hinge indicated generally at 12. The hinge 12 includes a horizontal rotating shaft 15 positioned transversely to the longitudinal direction of the mooring arm 8. Fenders 16, which prevent the vessel 7 from damaging the mooring arm 8, are preferably arranged on one side of the mooring arm 8. The mooring arm 8 is provided on the upper side with means 17 for securing the mooring cables to the mooring arm 8. The mooring cables which are designed to be secured at or near the bow of the vessel 7 are designated by the numeral 18. The mooring cables which are designed to be secured at the side of the vessel 7 are designated by the numerals 19, 20 and 21 and may be secured to the vessel by constant tension winches 20a.

The mooring arm 8 is also provided with fiowlines or hoses 22 which are each connected at one end to a swivelling coupling 23 mounted on supply or discharge line 24 on the buoy 1. The other end of each flowline or hose 22 is provided with means, for example, flanges (not shown), for connecting it to the loading or unloading lines 25 on the vessel 7.

The procedure for mooring vessel to the buoy described above is as follows:

The vessel 7 approaches the b-uoy 1 until in the vicinity of the mooring arm 8. The mooring cables 18 and 19 are stretched between the mooring arm 8 and the buoy 1 and are provided with a marker buoy 26 and with grappling cables 27 or 28, so that the cables 18 and 19 can be picked up from the vessel 7. After being picked up the cables 18 are hauled in and fastened to the bows of the vessel 7. The cable 19 is also hauled in and fastened to the mooring arm 8 in such a way that the vessel 7 is positioned with one side against the mooring arm 8. Ad-

ditional cables 19, 20 and 21 are subsequently arranged between vessel 7 and mooring arm 8, in a manner such as to restrict the possibility of lateral displacement of the vessel 7 with respect to the mooring arm 8. The fiowlines 22 arranged on the mooring arm 8 are subsequently connected to the lines 25 on the vessel 7, and the loading or unloading of the vessel 7 via the buoy 1 can begin.

Wind and/ or current forces cause the vessel 7 and the arm 8 to swivel together with respect to the buoy 1 in such a way that the ship offers a minimal resistance. If and when such a turning takes place the loading or unloading of the vessel 7 can always continue uninterrupted. The vessel 7 is moored to the mooring arm 8 in such a way that, depending on the degree of loading, the vessel can shift in a vertical direction with respect to the mooring arm 8 (see FIGURE 2, in which solid and broken lines show two different positions of vessel and mooring cables).

In FIGURE 4 the broken lines and the solid lines show the different positions which vessels of different sizes occupy when being moored.

The embodiment having two mooring arms, as shown in the FIGURES 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 will now be discussed.

Two mooring arms, 41 and 42 respectively, are rotatably secured to the buoy 40, in such a way that they can swivel around the vertical axis 43 and also with respect to each other. The buoy 40 is fastened to the bed of the waterway by means of anchor cables 44 and anchors 45. The mooring arms 41 and 42 are provided with floats 46 which prevent the mooring arms from sinking. If desired, the floats may be formed by hollow spaces present in the mooring arms. Fenders 47 on the mooring arms prevent the vessel 48 from damaging the mooring arms. Means 49 on the mooring arms serve to secure the vessel 48 with cables to the mooring arms.

Mooring cables 53 are fastened by one end to the buoy 40 and with the other end to mooring cables 50, 51 and 56, which in turn are fastened to the mooring arms 41' and 42. A marker buoy 52, together with a grappling cable 54, is connected to the mooring cables (see FIG- URE A tension spring 55 arranged between the mooring arms 41 and 42 causes the mooring arms 41 and 42 to move apart, so that the cables 50, 51, 53 and 56 become more or less stretched. A vessel is moored in the following manner:

Let it be assumed that a vessel 48 approaches close to buoy 40. As soon as the vessel 48 has approached sufficiently close to the buoy 40 a grappling line is thrown out from the vessel 48 to pick up the line 54 and also the mooring cables 50, 51, 53 and 56. These cables are hauled in, whereupon the cables 53, as well as the cables 51 and 56, are secured to the bows of the vessel. By means of the cables 51 and 56 the mooring arms 41 and 42 are drawn towards the vessel 48 in such a manner that the vessel 48 lies firmly moored between the two arms 41 and 42. The mooring arm 41 consists of two parts 57 and 58 which are connected to each other by a universal joint indicated generally at 59, i.e., a joint which permits swivelling in all directions. A pin 60 sliding in a slot 61, the ends of which act as stops, restricts possible swivelling in a horizontal plane of the part 58 with respect to the part 57 as shown in FIGURE 8.

By means of additional mooring cables 62, 63 and 64 the vessel 48 is firmly moored against the mooring arms 41 and 42. The fact that part 58 can swivel with respect to part 57 makes it possible to moor the vessel in such a way that the longitudinal axis of the vessel always intersects or substantially intersects the central vertical axis 43 of the buoy 40, irrespective of the size of the vessel. In order to illustrate this, FIGURE 9 shows how a number of vessels 48 of varying sizes can be moored to the buoy 40.

The broken lines and the solid lines in FIGURE 6 show the vessel 48 in the empty and the loaded state respectively.

After the vessel has been moored the lines or hoses (not shown) which as in the first embodiment run along the mooring arm 41 are connected to the lines 65 aboard the vessel 48, whereupon the loading or unloading of the vessel, for example, of a tanker, can begin.

The arrangement for picking up the mooring cables by the vessel, as shown in FIGURES 10, 11, 12 and 13 will now be discussed.

A buoy 70 is provided with two mooring arms 71 and 72 rotatable around the central vertical shaft of the buoy 70. The buoy 70 is anchored by means of cables 73 and anchors 74 to the bed of the waterway in which it is floating. To the end of each mooring arm 71 and 72 is secured a flexible inflatable tube 75 and 76 respectively (see FIGURE The free ends of the flexible tubes 75 and 76 are connected to each other at the point 77. A marker buoy (not shown) can if desired be connected to the flexible tubes 75 and 76 at the point 77. The mooring cables 78, 79 and 80 are respectively stretched between the buoy 70 and the point 77 and between the mooring arms 71 and 72 and the point 77. If desired at least one floating loading or unloading hose 81 can also run from the extremity of the mooring arm 71 to the point 77. In FIGURE 10 the flexible tubes 75 and 76 are shown in the inflated state, so that they remain floating on the water. The buoyancy of the tubes 75 and 76 prevents the cables 78, 79 and 80 from sinking.

A vessel, designated by the numeral 82, is moored in the following manner. Let it be assumed that the vessel 82 approaches the buoy 70, as shown in FIGURE 10. From the vessel 82 the point 77 is now hauled up, by means of a suitable grappling line. The cables 78, 79 and 80, the flexible tubes 75 and 76 and the floating loading and unloading hoses 81, which are connected to each other at point 77, are disconnected from each other. The cables 78, 79 and 80 are now hauled in, so that the vessel 82 moves towards the buoy 70 and the mooring arms 71 and 72 move towards the vessel 82 (see FIGURES 11, 12 and 13). The cables are subsequently made fast with the result that the vessel is firmly moored to the buoy.

The flexible tubes 75 and 76 are either allowed to float freely alongside the vessel 82, or are deflated so that they become slack and take up the position shown by the broken lines and the numerals 75a and 76a.

Finally, the floating loading and unloading lines 81 are joined to the connections of the lines on the vessel 82, whereupon the loading or unloading of the vessel 82 can begin.

We claim as our invention:

1. A buoy for mooring vessels and transferring fluid between the buoy and the vessel comprising:

(a) a base structure including a lower part secured to the floor of a waterway and an upper part rotatably mounted on said lower part to permit relative rotation between said parts about a vertical axis;

(-b) means for securing at least one mooring cable to said base structure;

(0) at least one elongated mooring arm which is secured at one end thereof to said upper part so that it may rotate with said upper part;

((1) said arm including at least two interconnected, mu-

tually articulated, terminally juxtapositioned parts adapted to permit a part of the side of said vessel to contact a part of said arm;

(e) float means supportingly associated with said arm to support said arm on said waterway;

(f) connecting means on said arm for securing at least one mooring cable from said vessel to said arm when the side of the vessel contacts said arm;

(g) at least one flowline connected at one end to said buoy; and,

(h) coupling means on the other end of said fiowline for connecting it to a vessel.

2. A buoy as defined in claim 1 comprising further, a

second mooring arm having one end rotatably secured to said structure and rotatable relative to said first arm I so that said arms may be positioned against opposite sides of said vessel.

3. A buoy as defined in claim 2 including biasing means connected 'between said mooring arms for urging said arms apart.

4. In combination with the buoy as defined in claim 3, cable means extending between parts of said mooring arms, and additional cable means secured to said firstmentioned cable means and to said structure when no vessel is moored to said buoy.

5. In combination with the buoy as defined in claim 1, cable means interconnecting said structure and a part of said mooring arm which is remote from said structure when no vessel is moored to said buoy.

6. A buoy as defined in claim 1 wherein said mooring arm includes, between said juxtaposed parts, hinge means having a horizontal rotating shaft positioned transversely to the longitudinal direction of said mooring arm.

7. A buoy as defined in claim 1 wherein said mooring 5 6 arm includes a universal joint between said juxtaposed cable means interconnecting said structure and a part of parts. said tube when no vessel is moored to said buoy.

8. A buoy as defined in claim 7 including stop means interconnecting said parts of said mooring arm to restrict References Cited the swivelling of one part of said arm with respect to 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9. A buoy as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one part of said mooring arm comprises an inflatable flexible MILTON BUCHLER Primary Examiner tube.

10. In combination with the buoy as defined in claim 9, m MAJOR Exammer' 

1. A BUOY FOR MOORING VESSELS AND TRANSFERRING FLUID BETWEEN THE BUOY AND THE VESSEL COMPRISING: (A) A BASE STRUCTURE INCLUDING A LOWER PART SECUTED TO THE FLOOW OF A WATERWAY AND AN UPPER PART ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID LOWER PART TO PERMIT RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN SAID PARTS ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS; (B) MEANS FOR SECURING AT LEAST ONE MOORING CABLE TO SAID BASE STRUCTURE; (C) AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED MOORING ARM WHICH IS SECURED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID UPPER PART SO THAT IT MAY ROTATE WITH SAID UPPER PART; (D) SAID ARM INCLUDING AT LEAST TO INTERCONNECTED, MUTUALLY ARTICULATED, TERMINALLY JUXTAPOSITIONED PARTS ADAPTED TO PERMIT A PART OF THE SIDE OF SAID VESSEL TO CONTACT A PART OF SAID ARM; (E) FLOAT MEANS SUPPORTINGLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ARM TO SUPPORT SAID ARM ON SAID WATERWAY; (F) CONNECTING MEANS ON SAID ARM FOR SECURING AT LEAST ONE MOORING CABLE FROM SAID VESSEL TO SAID ARM WHEN THE SIDE OF THE VESSEL CONTACTS SAID ARM; (G) AT LEAST ONE FLOWLINE CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID BUOY; AND, (H) COUPLING MEANS ON THE OTHER END OF SAID FLOWLINE FOR CONNECTING IT TO A VESSEL. 